Analyst Says Iowa Hawkeyes' Success Hinges On One Player in 2025

The Iowa Hawkeyes took a big swing this offseason in the transfer portal by bringing in South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski.

Gronowski helped South Dakota State win two consecutive FCS National Championships in 2022 and 2023, and he was the 2023 FCS Walter Payton Award winner, which is an award that goes annually to the best player in FCS football.

On paper, landing him as a transfer quarterback is a massive win for the Hawkeyes, but he did some with some risks. Mainly, he's missed the entire spring as he recovers from a surgery on his right throwing shoulder that he underwent in January

He's been taking mental reps all spring, but whether or not he can succeed as Iowa's starting quarterback will hinge on how he plays this fall and whether or not he's fully recovered and ready to go when it's for real.

If he's healthy and his skills translate from the FCS level, he could help the Hawkeyes be a major player in the Big Ten this season. If he fails at Iowa, though, he'll go down as a massive swing and miss for the Hawkeyes in the transfer portal.

That's perhaps why Sean Bock of 247Sports lists Gronowski as the only top-tier player in his projection of the impact that every Hawkeye transfer will have in 2025. More specifically, he ranks Gronowski in the "S-Tier", which means "the season's success hinges significantly on their own success."

"Could Gronowski be the answer that Iowa is looking for at this position? While he sat out this spring as he was recovering from offseason should surgery, he has been able to pick up the offense and his experience as well as his high IQ could help him be a great match in Tim Lester's offense, but being able to put the offense into practice is going to be critical," Bock wrote.

Again, the consensus seems to be that if he can execute Iowa's schemes and seamlessly transition from the FCS to the Big Ten, Gronowski is going to be the Hawkeyes' big X-factor this season.

He was a winner and a big-time producer at the FCS level. He went 49-6 as the Jackrabbits' starting quarterback and, of course, won two championships. The Big Ten is a different beast, though, so his ability to adapt may truly determine whether or not the Hawks can be a factor in 2025. He also needs to be healthy.

No matter what happens, Iowa's great experiment with Gronowski will be extremely interesting to watch play out.